Hollandiase Sauce 101

While the asparagus is still local and fresh, you will want to fancy it up now and again for Sunday dinners, or other special occasions. Nothing dresses asparagus like Hollandaise Sauce, and this recipe, which I found online at "Simply Recipes," is “Maximized,” delicious, and (perhaps more importantly) easy. What more can we ask? (I know it looks like the preparation is lengthy, but once you read through, you will see how simple it really is.) Prepare this sauce just before your meal.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
10 tablespoons butter

Preparation:
1) Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil – you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away. Once the butter melts, turn off the heat and let it cool just a little bit while you prepare the eggs.
2) Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne (if using) into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds. The friction generated by the blender blades will heat the yolks a little. The blending action will also introduce a little air into them, making your hollandaise a bit lighter.
3) Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to buzz for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated.
4) Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and very lightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. If you do this, pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time.
Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stovetop. Use within an hour or so.
Makes about 1 cup of sauce, good for about 4-6 servings.

FROZEN KEY LIME PIE

This recipe is based on a fantastic recipe that I found in Healing Cuisine, for those of you who are following that blog. The "frozen" part is a product of necessity being the mother of invention. The recipe is delicious, and perfectly safe for Advanced Nutrition Plan eaters (especially good for a dinnertime dessert because it contains no berries or chocolate or other wonderful things that aren't so wonderful after about 3PM). I had a food critic (B.J.) taste it after it had been chilling in the refrigerator for about two hours, and he gave it an 8 out of 5 on the taste, and a 1 out of 5 on the "pie-ness" factor. (Perhaps I hadn't chilled it long enough, but it seemed more like a key lime mousse on a crust.) His suggestion? Freeze it!

My suggestion would be to freeze it, covered, and put it into the refrigerator when you begin your dinner. By the time you are ready for dessert, the Frozen Key Lime Pie should be perfection.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

The filling

3/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice

the zest of at least one of those limes

5 avocados

1/4 to 1/3 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (1/3 cup if your avocados are larger)

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 teaspoon liquid stevia

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

The Crust

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

3 tablespoons melted organic butter

Stevia to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon of Sweet Leaf powdered stevia. Start with less, and taste!)

Preparation:

To make the crust, combine almond meal, coconut, stevia and melted butter and press it into a glass pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Watch it. You don't want the almonds to get brown.

To make the filling, combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until you have a smooth, lump-free consistency. Pour the filling over the crust.

I USE A HIGH SPEED BLENDER TO MIX THE FILLING AND IT REALLY YIELDS A SMOOTHER, CREAMIER, THICKER RESULT.

Note: If you do not want to freeze the pie, I would suggest that you chill it in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours before you plan to serve it. I also noticed that, after I froze the pie the first time, it could be left in the refrigerator without becoming too soft. This recipe is for you. Do with it as you like, and let me know how you enjoyed it.

Coconut Macaroon Cookies

These light and delicious cookies are a tribute to the recipe I found in the "Maximized Living Nutrition Plan" book.
Enjoy.

Ingredients:
6 Egg Whites
1 Package or 2 ½ cups of Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Stevia to Sweeten (to taste)

Preparation:
Beat egg whites until peaks form. (This can be done with a wisk or an electric hand mixer. I have done it with a wisk, and, although it was a tiny bit of a workout, it is possible – and somewhat satisfying.) Add stevia to sweeten, and beat again to combine. Taste, and add more stevia if necessary. At this point, if you want to add a teaspoon of pure vanilla, feel free. Gently stir in unsweetened shredded coconut.
Drop by teaspoons-full onto parchment lined baking pan. Bake at 350º for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on parchment paper in the refrigerator until firm. Once cooled, these cookies can be dipped into melted, stevia-sweetened chocolate if you prefer. (I like the toasted coconut appearance and taste without the chocolate.)